Kentucky Defense Shines as Cats Stifle Creighton to Advance Into the Final Four

There's a saying in sports that's seemingly as old as some of the sports themselves: 'Defense wins championships.' While the game of volleyball has certainly seen a dramatic change as the athletes continue to find ways to jump higher and hit harder, that proverb still holds just as true today. And as dominant as the No. 2 Kentucky volleyball team's offense has been all season, it was the defense that led the charge Saturday evening, as the Cats downed third-seeded Creighton in straight sets (25-19, 25-13, 25-18) inside Historic Memorial Coliseum to advance to the Final Four for the second time in program history. 

Heading into the match, the Bluejays boasted two of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the country in seniors Ava Martin and Kiara Reinhardt, two players who found themselves drafted in the Top 10 of the Major League Volleyball draft just three weeks ago. Against Arizona State in the Regional Semifinals, the outside hitter and middle blocker combined for 38 of the team's 65 total kills and each hit .388 or above. It was going to take a concerted defensive effort by Kentucky, especially behind the service line, to try and slow the pair down enough to give the offense a chance. And boy did they do just that.

Kentucky attacked Creighton from behind the service line from the jump, forcing the Bluejays out of system early and often and preventing them from finding any sort of offensive rhythm. In the first set alone, Kentucky forced Creighton into six hitting errors and held the Bluejay attack to just .091 hitting. That strong start proved to be the story of the match, as Creighton finished the afternoon with only 29 total kills through three sets of play while hitting at only a .066 clip. No one tallied more than eight kills for the Bluejays and Martin (8) and Reinhardt (7) combined for only 15 kills on the afternoon. 

That defensive charge was led on two fronts- one coming from behind the service line and the other coming in the block setup and back row defense displayed by every Wildcat that stepped foot on the floor. At the service line, it was freshman Trinity Ward who terrorized the Bluejays the most, as she made an immediate impact off the bench to keep the Bluejays' offense off balance. Kentucky scored the most points of the afternoon behind Ward's serve, as she also recorded a service ace and four digs in the winning effort. Junior Brooklyn DeLeye reflected on Ward's impact on the match and the contagious energy she brings to the team every time she steps foot on the floor.

"She's just one of the hardest workers out there," DeLeye said of Ward's performance. "I know when she got her shot to come in to serve she was going to make the most out of it. Props to her and just the person she is because she was just a huge momentum shift, whether that's with her serving or just her presence out there. She will be your biggest hype man regardless. It's just awesome having someone like that on your team."

Molly Tuozzo led the Cats' defense on the back line as the junior libero picked up a match-high 17 digs. While the outside duo of Eva Hudson and Brooklyn DeLeye are most known for their offense, their defensive effort was on full display as well as they picked up 15 and 12 digs respectively, Kassie O'Brien added eight, and Molly Berezowitz had four. Kentucky totaled a whopping 62 digs in the match as Creighton struggled to find the floor repeatedly. 

While junior Lizzie Carr didn't have the offensive night she had against Cal Poly, she made her presence known once again on the defensive side of the net as she led all players with five blocks. DeLeye and Kennedy Washington each added three, O'Brien had two, and Hudson had one. 

Offensively the Cats were paced by 18 kills off the arm of DeLeye, who hit at a .326 clip with only four errors to her name. Hudson was the other Wildcat to eclipse double figures as she added 13, but sophomore Asia Thigpen wasn't far behind as she had eight of her own on an impressive .429 hitting percentage. Washington had five kills as well and Carr finished with three. O'Brien continued to strengthen her case for National Freshman of the Year as she dished out 40 assists and directed the Kentucky attack to the tune of a .263 clip.

In the final home match of the season, the Big Blue Nation stepped up in a major way, as the Cats saw the second sell-out crowd of the season pack Historic Memorial Coliseum to watch Kentucky clinch a Final Four berth. Announced attendance came out to 6,122- the largest crowd of the season. Following the match, Hudson reflected on her final game inside Memorial and how cool it was to see the stands packed, even with a basketball game right down the street.

"It was absolutely magical," Hudson said. "Every time we ask BBN to show up they over-exceed every expectation our whole team has. There at the end when it was like 23-16 I think, I just kind of looked around when it got really chaotic and it was a really cool experience. I just can't thank them enough for an amazing year." 

UK head coach Craig Skinner's message to the team after the match wasn't about avoiding the pressure of a Final Four or worrying about playing at a high level once Thursday comes. Instead, it centered around appreciating the collective effort that has gotten them to this point.

"We know that there's going to be pressure," Skinner said. "But we have got to enjoy this. You do not get this chance very often in life. So we're not going to go in and, 'Oh my god we've got to play great on Thursday' from here until then. We're going to enjoy the experience, enjoy this victory, and enjoy the time we have together. I told the team in the locker room, it's very rare you get to experience a group of people like this that is so bought into each other and the program. So we have to enjoy that for as long as we can and as long as this season will take us."

With the win, Kentucky improves to 29-2 on the season and wraps up a perfect 15-0 run inside Historic Memorial Coliseum. They extend their winning streak to 26-straight victories and snap the 23-match winning streak that Creighton was riding prior to the match. Next up, the Cats will travel to Kansas City for the Final Four where they'll take on the winner of the Regional Final match between Texas and Wisconsin. First serve Thursday will be announced Sunday night after the completion of regional play in Austin. 

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